Solar Storm

A solar storm can throw whales off-course, suggesting that the large animals might have an internal compass. Ed Yong 11:00 AM ET ReutersThe first clear evidence that some animals have a magnetic sense came from a simple-enough experiment—put an animal in a box, change the magnetic fields around it, and…

Scientists aren't sure how whales navigate during long underwater migrations, but a new study lends credence to the idea that they use Earth's magnetic field to orient themselves.The research found that during solar storms, gray whales are more likely to get stranded on shore.The researchers suggests that these solar storms…

People look at a beached dead gray whale at Ocean Beach on May 6, 2019 in San Francisco, California.Justin Sullivan/GettyScientists aren't sure how whales navigate during long underwater migrations, but a new study lends credence to the idea that they use Earth's magnetic field to orient themselves.The research found that…

DURHAM, N.C. -- When our sun belches out a hot stream of charged particles in Earth's general direction, it doesn't just mess up communications satellites. It might also be scrambling the navigational sense of California gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus), causing them to strand on land, according to a Duke University…

A new study reported in the journal Current Biology on February 24 offers some of the first evidence that gray whales might depend on a magnetic sense to find their way through the ocean. This evidence comes from the discovery that whales are more likely to strand on days when…

The next New Moon happens today, Sunday, February 23 at exactly 3.32pm GMT (10.32am ET). This timing means the February New Moon will unfortunately be invisible to even the most eagle-eyed observer.What is a New Moon?When the Moon is new, Earth’s natural satellite is placed between our planet and the…

Every now and again, the Sun gets testy. Huge storms erupt from its surface, some (called solar flares) firing out intense radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum, some (called coronal mass ejections) blasting out billions of tons of subatomic particles that sleet across the solar system at incredible speeds. If these…

As NASA leads the way for human exploration at the Moon and beyond, space radiation is one of the biggest hazards crews face. In 2018, NASA signed an agreement with the Israel Space Agency (ISA) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) for an experiment to test the AstroRad radiation protection…

On Sunday at 11:03 p.m. EST, the European Space Agency and NASA successfully launched their joint Solar Orbiter mission from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, with the spacecraft catching a ride aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. During its mission, the Solar Orbiter will get up…

On Sunday at 11:03 p.m. EST, the European Space Agency and NASA successfully launched their joint Solar Orbiter mission from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, with the spacecraft catching a ride aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. During its mission, the Solar Orbiter will get up…